Changeable indicator.



1. HUTCHiNSON.

CHANGEABLE INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED DECI4. K917. 1,285,716 I Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEEY I.

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J. HUTCHI'NSON.

CHANGEABLE INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.4. 1911.

1 ,285,7 1 6 Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- wue'ntoc JOBHUTCHINSON-; OF BROOKLYN; NEW YORK.

CHANG-.EABLE INDICATOR.

Specification pf Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 26, 1918.-

Origi nal application filed May 15, 1916, Serial No. 97,615. Divided and this application, fi1ed,-De,cember 4,

i 1917. Serial No. 205,352.

T 0 all whom z't may concern:

Be itknown that I, Jon HUTOHlNsON a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and fotate of New I York; have invented new and useful Improvements in Changeable IndicaT tors, of which the following is a speoifi cation.

My invention relates to changeable indica:

tors, in general, and more particularly to train departure indicators for railway depots. The .presentapplication is drawn to the specific structure of the indicator and provides means for indicating the time I. of departure andlist of'stations, andparticu- 4 lar means includingthe specific form; and

operation of the device used in efiecting the changes in the reading ofthe indicator.

The objects of the invention are to provide a self contained apparatus whlch will indicate the desired data from any direction in which the indicator may be used, to improve; thesimplicity of" operation and reduce the;

initial cost of manufacture and makepossible theeasyrepair ofthe instrument.

In theconstructionof the apparatus embodying this invention l provide a frame of sufficient height to carry the track number and time data the proper distance above the floorlevel, and all operating connections are" arranged nearthe" base of the frame wherethey may be, readily reached and manipulated by a person standing on. the floor; i

The invention consists ,in the novel combination of parts and features of construe-1 tion"hereinafter-described andiclaimed; andshown in Fig; 1 'showingin dotted lines and in the portion brokenaway the relative location of-the parts.- This view-showsthe design ofthe upper part of the; structure provided with a forwardly-extending display projection sothat the track numbersmay be seen at-either side of the structure;

1*."g. 3 is a view. showing the position of, the parts for moving the time card rack and lifting the display. curtain which v shows the stations.

Fig. 4 is a view showing in sectionthe structure of the time cardfrack, the studs for fastening the device to the stud blocks of the carrying chain being shown in posi tion. i

Fig. 5'representsone end of'the display;

curtain and'the eyelets for the reception of the hooks carriedjby the elevatingchain.

Likev numeralsrefer to. like parts in the drawings 5 Referring'to Fig. 1 of the drawing the structure shown provides a framework of wood or metal or a combination of both. The lightnessof the operating mechanism makes it possible'to use a framework of wood which" may be covered with metal sheeting for the sake of appearance. The

lower partof the-structure prov-ides a numberof 'doors -l w-h1ch-are-mounted on pivot hinges.- The. hinges. aregpreferably located," aboutathird of the way from the bottom of the, door so that the weight of the door and its racks'willbe properly balanced. Onthe; inner side 7 of the door are i aplurality of,"

racks 2 for the reception ofthe rollers-3 each of which carry aflexible curtain-'1 3*? bearingthe data for the stationsythese rolls being conveniently storedin the base of the indicatorstructure. The balance'of the door may-be so arranged that the weight-of'the rolls will automatically close the door and thus dispense with anyfastening-devices.-

T-he indicating apparatus aridmoving parts of the= indicatorare carried" in the upper portion ofthe structure and suitable crank attachments are provided at a pointconvenient to the operator -for adjusting the mechanism. Near thebase of the moving parts and above the storage drawers 1 are" bearingmembers 4 and at the top of the structure are additional'bearing' members. The bearing members 4: are fastened tothe. side walls of'thesupporting frame and are of standard size sothat the parts may be interchanged. Extending horizontally be: tween the bearing members i at the bottom is a shaft5' provided with the'gears 6 and 6". Theoperation of the stubg-shaft 7 or the stub shaft 7 by the removable crank 8 turns a gear 9 or gear 9 which in turn .mesh with .7

and turn the gears 6 and; 6 respectively. Spaced apart on the shaft-5am the sprocket members 10 which are driven by the shaft 5. At the top of the structure in the bearing blocks previously mentioned is a similar shaft carrying similar sprockets but this upper shaft has no driving connections and the sprockets act merely to carry the chains 11 which are driven by the lower sprockets 10. The chains 11 when operated by theturning of either stub shaft 7 or i move up and down in their travel and never progress beyond the height of the sprocket structure. This movement is practically to be compared to reciprocating motion as differentiated from a continuous turning movement. The chains 11 carry the hook members 12, Fig. 5, which are adapted to engage with the rod 13 of the curtain 3. Referring to Fig. 7 it will be noted that the rod 13 of the curtain 3 is provided with eyelet members extending back over the curtain to provide an opening for the reception of the hook end. The roller 3 is placed in its operative position immediately below the shaft 5 and the chain 11 and as the structure is actuated the hook members 12 engage the rod 13 and carry the curtain upwardly against the force of a torsional spring within the roller 3. The shaft 5 is provided with a roller or drum member 5 rigidly keyed thereto which has a diameter great or greater than the diameter of the sprocket wheels from the ends of the sprocket teeth. The purpose of this member 5 will be obvious when it is understood that the curtain structure is assisted in its movement by the frictional contact of the roller 5 and further from the fact that its large diameter prevents the curtain 3 from having a wearing engagement with the sprocket chains 11 or the teeth of the sprocket 10.

Each sprocket chain 11 is provided with a stud block 11 located a little above the hook members 12. These stud blocks receive and carry the screw members 15 which support a. display rack device 16 which has a number of openings for the reception of the time cards for indicating the time of the departure of trains. Referring to Fig. 5 it will be noted that the device 16 has a sliding engagement with the screw member 15. It will be noted that the movement of the device 16 when lowered by the chains 11 is limited by a suitab e limit stop which may be the shafts 7 and 7* as shown in the figure indicated. As the hook member carrying the rod 13 moves upward initially the end of the hook engages with the lower end of the device 16 and thus prevents the escape of the rod 13 from the hook. As just indicated on the reverse movement of the chain and hook the effect of the limit stop is to permit the hook to leave the c evice 16 and travel downward and underneath the shaft 5 to a position where the rod 13 of the curtain. is discharged from the hook. This additional movement of the hook to its discharging position is made possible by the sliding engagement and mounting of the display device 16 on the screw member 15 which is carried by the stud block 1 1 in the chain.

The structure at the top of the indicator for the movement of the curtains bearing the track number data is operated by the attachment of a crank to the stub shaft 17 which is located at a height convenient to the operator. Suitable gearing connections to trans mit the power from this stub 17 to the apparatus at the top of the indicator are indicated by the gear 17 and the gear 17 and the shaft 17.

The details of the apparatus at the top of the structure are not shown in this application, as these features are described and claimed in my application Serial No. 97,615 of which this application is a divisional case.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that a. simple and inexpensive indicating device is provided which will correctly and uniformly present the data required. The co operation of the moving parts makes it possible to lower the device bearing the time cards and thus to cooperate with the apparatus for displaying the station data to of fectively prevent the detachment of the apparatus bearing the station data during either the upward or downward movement of the same.

Changes in shape, location of the parts and material may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

l/Vhat I claim is 1. A changeable indicator comprising a supporting frame, bearing members adjacent the top of said frame, bearing members adjacent the lower end of said f ame, sprockets mounted in conjunction with said bearing members, hook carrying chains on said sprockets, a display curtain adapted for engagement with said hooks of said carrying chains, a display device carried on said chains and spaced above and in operative engagement with the ends of said hooks on said chains, said display device having a sliding relation with respect to said chains whereby the ends of said hooks may engage said display device during the vertical movement of said chains to prevent the escape of said display curtain from said hooks.

2. A changeable indicator comprising a supporting frame, bearing members adjacent the top of said frame, bearing members adjacent the lower end of said frame, sprockets mounted in conjunction with said bearing members, chains carried on said sprockets, hooks carried by said chains, a display curtain adapted for engagement with said hooks, stud blocks carried by said chains above said hooks, a display device carried on said stud blocks and having a sliding engagement therewith, said display device being spaced above and in operative engagement with the ends of said hooks whereby the escape of said display curtain from said hooks is prevented during the vertical movement of said chains.

3. In a changeable indicator, a frame, bearing members at the top and bottom of said frame, sprockets mounted in conjunction with said bearing members, hook carrying chains on said sprockets, a display curtain adapted for engagement with said hook carrying chains, and friction rollers mounted to turn with said sprocket members to engage said display curtain and assist in moving the same, said friction rollers having a diameter at least as great as the diameter of said sprocket members.

4. In a changeable indicator, a frame hav- ,ing upper and lower bearing members, a first rotatable support member mounted in conjunction with said upper bearing member, a second rotatable support member mounted in conjunction with said lower bearing member, a flexible supporting member connecting said rotatable members, means for moving said flexible supporting member up and down, a hook carried by said flexible supporting member, a display curtain adapted for engagement with said hooks, a display device carried on said flexible supporting member and spaced above and in operative engagement with the ends of said hooks on said flexible supporting member, said display device being movably mounted with respect to said flexible support member, whereby the ends of said hooks may engage said display device during the vertical movement of said flexible support member to prevent the escape of said display curtain from said hooks.

5. A changeable indicator comprising a supporting frame, upper and lower bearing members mounted on said frame, sprocket members mounted in conjunction with said bearing members, hook carrying chains on said sprocket members, a display curtain adapted to receive said hooks carried by said carrying chains, a display device positioned for elevation by said hooks, and power means to operate said chains to lift said hooks, said hooks being adapted to pick up the end of said curtain in their travel and to continue and pick up the display device to elevate the same with the curtain.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOB HUTCHINSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each. by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

